Improvement in trunks



C. A. TAYLOR.

Trunks.

No. 128,925, Patented my 9', |872.

V UNITED STAT-ns 'CHARLES ASA TAYLOR,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN Tnuuks.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 28,925, lated July El, 1872 L p. A SPneiFieArIoN. To au whom, it may concern: Beit known `that I, CHARLES ASA TAYLOR,

IofChieagoJ in the county of Cook and State l of Illinois, have invented certain Improve ments in Trunks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention consistsin a yicldingrollerof i novel construction, to be applied entirely on the outside of the trunk; in spring-catches to hold-the trunk shnt;..in. a braceofpeculiar construction to' be applied to the outside of the body for the purpose of holdingV up the top or lid; and 'in a springgarmfor supportingY 'i the traywhen it is turned up.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my trunk with the lid and the tray turned up; Fig. 2; an end view of the tray,-showing the brace `for supporting its coveryFig. 3', a vertical section of one end-pf the tray with vthe cover raised, showing the manner in which the supporting-braceV locks ont-he edge;v Fig. 4, a

' vertical" section through ,one 'of the clasps or fastenings and Fig.5, a- Vertical section through one o'f the rollers.

l .In constructingmy trunk I' build its body in the ordinary mannerand provideit with the usual hingedtop B and tray C, as shown.

4 'Instead of attaching the4 rollers D" rigidly; to

the bottom, in the usual manner, I mount v them in the ends ofspring-arms E, .which I secure to the bottom `of the trunk, as shown.v Over each spring audits roller- AI secure a rnetalplate or socket, F, provided with an opening for the, roller. to extend' out throngh, as shown, the plate r socket being extended up on lthe end of V,the trunkgfas shown, so that.' it has 'a strong hold and cannot be torn loose, and so also thatvit `forms an angle-iron to strengthen Y `the body. -The springs are madeof sufficient l 'strength to` hold the rollers out and, support the trunkwhen illedfbntfwhen the trunk is throivnviolently down the springs yield and 'Y allow the rollers to fall back-into the sockets or plates F, so that the'blowV isreceiyed upon the solidjnetal. j. Wlien'th'e rollers 'are ont in position theyare-.heldor supported by the, sockets so that, they. cannot `be wrenchecl off sidewise by pulling the trnnk about.- By thus mounting the rollers: on` the'springsland protecting'them by theseckets they are guardedfrom violent blows; andjfronilateral strain, so

provided with three ilat arms which are se..

cnrely riveted lto the'top, end, and front, respectlvel y, as shown in Fig. l. These corner pieces may be `made of either cast or wrought metal, but should, in either case, be made of such strength and thickness that they cannot be heilt or broken by any blows to which .they may besnbjectcdr The corner pieces thus constructed and applied serve to strengthen and protect the corners of the top so that they cannot possibly be broken or injured by throwing 'the trunk about. Instead of providing the vtop of the tru nk with the usual straps for fastening it. down I attach to its front two springlcatches, I, and to the top two tangs or plates,`.I, which lock into and are held'bythe.

catches. Each catch consists of a'nietal socket, 'e, provided with a hinged latch or hook, f, and with a flat-spring, g, which bears against the lower end ofthe latch and keeps its upper end pressedv inward against the socket. The upper end of the latch 'or hook is provided with a prong, i, which extends through into the socket, as shown -in Fig.- 4, the upper side" of the prong being beveled oft', as shown.

.Theftangson the -top or lid are provided with beveled ends and with holes or openings, as

shown. When the top is pressed down the tangs slide downv into the sockets, and the` `prongs i of the llatches lock through them,

'ini-the manner shown in Fig. 4, so as to hold the top or lid down securely.` vIn order to uu' locklatches it is only necessary toV turn back the upper ends of the hooks or latches so as todrawthepronws out of they fangs. After the latches are turned back a certain distance the springs hold them in position, as `shown in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that it .isgonly at atime. p 'For thepnrposeof automa-tical] bracing n p theld o rroover, when itis-raised, I, secure to The spring-roll# necessary to attend to one of them 2 l leaseathe end of the bodyr a plate, L, provided with ahorizontal slot having a notch or recess, o, at its back end, and to the lid or top pivot an arm, M, having its lower endprovided with a stud, p, which is arranged to work in the slot of the plate, as shown, -the body of the platov being set ontfrom the trunkv so that the arm fits down inside of it, as shown.

XVhen the top is raised it draws l'the brace baci; so that the stud p falls into the' notch o and holds it firmly in place, so as to prevent the top from falling. The top is released by simply lifting the end of the brace ontof the notch. \Vhen the top isclosed down the brace `shuts down inside ot the plate L, which protects the brace from being broken or torn loose, while, on the other hand, the brace prevents the plate from bcinior bent inward or broken when the trunk is thrown down on end or others thrown upon it.

For the purpose ol' supporting the tray when it is turned up, l secure rigidly to the inside ofthe body, at one end, an upright springt-arm, P, and to the end ot' the tray attach a plate, Q, having an inclined stud or projection on its face, so that when 'the tray is raised the proj cction slips n nder and catches behind the arm, as shown in Fig. l, so as to,

hold the tray in position. The tray is released when desired by pullingr the arm outward sulticiently to clear the projection on the plate.

In constructing my trunk also extend the sheet-metal binding 1', commonly used on the corners, from three to ten inches outward on the body, which is greatly streng-"htened thereby. l

ly my various improvement-s I produce, at a slight increase in cost, a trunk 'which is lunch stronger and otherwise superior to those now in use. t v

Having thas described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The yielding` roller fortrnnks, consisting of the socket having the flat spring mounted therein and provided with the roller in its end, whenconstrncted and arranged as described, so that it may be appiied entirely to the outside of a trunk, as set forth.

2. The offset slotted plate L applied to the outside of the body, incombination with the locking-brace M pivoted to the top, and arranged to fold down inside of 'the plate, as dcseri bed.

The spri lig-catches I, constructed and applied to the front of the body, as described, in combination with the tongues or hasps J, on the top, whcn arranged to operate as set forth.

4. The springvarm P,` secured to the end of the body, in combination with the plate or catch Q on the tray, when arranged as de scribed, for the purpose of holding the troy up.

CHARLES ASA TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

-AUGUsTUs DETTLOFF,

JoHN MCNAMARA. 

